Connector assemblies have heretofore been provided in which a plug is insertable into a receptacle which may be mounted in a wall. The plug and receptacle include bodies of insulating material carrying interengageable female and male contacts which are connected to the ends of the conductors of wires disposed within the sheaths of suitable cables. Such connector assemblies have been generally satisfactory in operation but there have been problems which have not been recognized and dealt with by designers of such connectors.
For example, there have frequently been failures due to open circuits which can be very serious when the connector is used in critical applications. One cause of such open circuits which has not been recognized and dealt with is that the end of a conductor of a connecting wire may separate from the contact or become loosened in a manner such that the electrical connection between the contact and the wire may either be intermittent or completely ineffective.
Another problem relates to securing of the sheath portion of a cable to a housing. In prior arrangements, a screw has been provided having a terminal end portion engageable with the sheath portion of a cable and it is found that the screw can cut through the sheath portion in a manner such that there is inadequate frictional engagement with the sheath portion of the cable. In some cases, the screw may cut through the insulated portions of wires to cause electrical short-circuits or other problems of a similar nature.
Additional unrecognized problems with prior art connectors relate to the mounting of an insulating contact-carrying body within a protective housing, usually of metal. It is desirable to be able to securely lock the insulating body in the housing while permitting withdrawal therefrom in case it is necessary to do so for servicing. Also, it is desirable to be able to both insert and withdraw the body easily and quickly without going to an expensive constuction and without interfering with the reliability of the connector. The prior art arrangements while being generally satisfactory, have had deficiencies in such respects.